JP2018154078A - Ink-jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of suppressing the increase in viscosity of ink in a discharge nozzle by suppressing the disappearance of a moisturizing agent in a moisturizing agent storage section. A printer (inkjet recording apparatus) includes recording heads 17a to 17c, a cap portion 53 that caps the recording heads 17a to 17c, and a moisturizing agent supply mechanism 130. The humectant supply mechanism 130 includes a humectant storage part 131 that stores the humectant 160 supplied into the cap part 53, and a communication path 133 through which the humectant 160 supplied from the humectant storage part 131 to the cap part 53 passes. And a sub-tank 137 for storing the liquid moisturizing agent 160, a supply path 139 through which the moisturizing agent 160 supplied from the sub-tank 137 to the moisturizing agent accommodating unit 131 passes, and an overflow inside the moisturizing agent accommodating unit 131 for moisturizing. And a discharge path 143 through which the moisturizing agent 160 returning from the agent storage unit 131 to the sub tank 137 passes. [Selection] Figure 25

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus including a recording head that discharges ink onto a recording medium such as paper, and a cap unit that caps an ink discharge surface of the recording head.

  2. Description of the Related Art As a recording apparatus such as a facsimile, a copying machine, and a printer, an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting ink is widely used because it can form a high-definition image.

  Conventionally, in an ink jet recording apparatus, normally, in order to prevent the discharge nozzles of the recording head from being dried and clogged, the recording head is capped when printing is not performed for a long period of time. It is also common to perform a recovery process in which ink thickened in the discharge nozzle is forcibly extruded from the discharge nozzle and wiped with a wiper. Therefore, the ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head that discharges ink to a recording medium, a cap unit that has a cap portion that caps the ink discharge surface of the recording head, and a wipe unit that performs recovery processing of the recording head. Provided.

  When capping the recording head, the cap portion is disposed so as to be in close contact with the ink ejection surface of the recording head. When the recording head is not capped, the cap portion is disposed at a retracted position retracted from the recording head.

  An ink jet recording apparatus that caps a recording head and performs recovery processing of the recording head is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.

JP 2007-216466 A

  By the way, the cap part has a very high sealing structure to prevent the discharge nozzle from drying and clogging. However, if the device is left for a long period of time, the moisture in the discharge nozzle will decrease, Ink thickens.

  In order to suppress this, the structure which supplies a moisturizing agent to the inside of a cap part can be considered. In the mechanism for supplying the moisturizing agent to the inside of the cap unit, it is necessary to store the moisturizing agent to be supplied to the cap unit in the moisturizing agent storage unit. At this time, when many cap parts are provided, it is necessary to supply the humectant over a wide range, so a large humectant storage part is required in the front-rear and left-right directions. In order to accommodate a necessary amount of the humectant in the humectant accommodating portion as compact as possible, it is necessary to form the humectant accommodating portion large in the front-rear and left-right directions and small in the height direction.

  However, if the humectant container is made smaller in the height direction, it is difficult to detect the remaining amount of the humectant in the humectant container and it is difficult to accurately detect the remaining amount. For this reason, there is a problem in that the moisturizing agent in the moisturizing agent storage section is lost, and the ink in the discharge nozzle is thickened.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to increase the viscosity of the ink in the discharge nozzle by suppressing the disappearance of the moisturizing agent in the moisturizing agent container. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus that can suppress this.

  In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of recording heads each having an ink ejection surface in which an ejection nozzle that ejects ink opens, and a plurality of caps that cap the ink ejection surface. A cap unit having a cap part; and a moisturizing agent supply mechanism for supplying the moisturizing agent in a liquid or gaseous state to the inside of the cap part. The moisturizing agent supply mechanism is provided below the cap part, connects the moisturizing agent accommodating part for accommodating the liquid moisturizing agent, the moisturizing agent accommodating part and the cap part, and is supplied from the moisturizing agent accommodating part to the cap part. The moisturizer is connected to the communication path through which the moisturizer passes, the moisturizer tank containing the liquid moisturizer supplied to the moisturizer container, and the moisturizer tank and the moisturizer tank are connected to each other. A moisturizer that connects the supply path through which the moisturizer supplied to the unit passes, the moisturizer container and the moisturizer tank, and overflows from the moisturizer container to the moisturizer tank. An exhaust path through which the gas passes.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the humectant supply mechanism stores the humectant container that stores the liquid humectant and the liquid humectant supplied to the humectant container. The moisturizer tank, the supply path through which the moisturizer supplied from the moisturizer tank to the moisturizer container passes, and the moisturizer that overflows inside the moisturizer container and returns from the moisturizer container to the moisturizer tank passes. And a discharge route to be included. As a result, surplus moisturizer inside the moisturizer container returns to the moisturizer tank via the discharge path, so that the moisturizer more than the consumption (decreased amount) in the cap part is supplied from the moisturizer tank. The container can be supplied. For this reason, even when the moisturizer container is small in the height direction and it is difficult to detect the remaining amount of the moisturizer in the moisturizer container, the moisturizer is stably supplied from the moisturizer tank to the moisturizer container. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the disappearance of the moisturizing agent in the moisturizing agent storage unit, and it is possible to suppress the viscosity of the ink in the discharge nozzle.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic structure of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first transport unit and a recording unit of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention from above. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a recording unit of a printer according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a recording head constituting a line head of a recording unit of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a recording head of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention from the ink ejection surface side. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a cap unit, a first transport unit, and the like of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first transport unit is disposed at a raised position. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a printer cap unit, a first transport unit, and the like according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first transport unit is disposed at a lowered position. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a cap unit and the like of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the cap unit and the wipe unit are arranged at a first position. It is a figure which shows the state which raised the cap unit and the wipe unit from the state of FIG. It is a figure showing the structure of the cap unit of the printer of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a cap unit, a wipe unit, and the like of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the cap unit is disposed at a second position and the wipe unit is disposed at a first position. . It is a figure which shows the state which raised the wipe unit from the state of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which moved the wiper carriage in the arrow B direction from the state of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the unit raising / lowering mechanism periphery of the printer of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the connection pin of the printer of one Embodiment of this invention, and a raising piece periphery, and is a figure which shows the state which the wipe unit and the cap unit are not connected. It is a figure which shows the structure of the connection pin of the printer of one Embodiment of this invention, and a raising piece periphery, and is a figure which shows the state with which the wipe unit and the cap unit were connected. It is a figure which shows the structure of the cover member and main body stay periphery of the printer of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the cover member of the printer of one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a cap unit, a wipe unit, and the like of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the wipe unit is disposed at a first height position. It is a figure which shows the structure of the pushing-up piece of the printer of one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a cap unit, a wipe unit, and the like of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating a state in which the wipe unit is disposed at a second height position. FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the cap unit and the wipe unit are slightly moved in the arrow A ′ direction from the state of FIG. 21. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a cap unit and a wipe unit of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram illustrating a state in the middle of moving the cap unit and the wipe unit from a first position to a second position. It is the figure which expanded the inclination part periphery of FIG. It is the figure which showed the structure of the moisturizing agent supply mechanism periphery of the printer of one Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the structure of the cap unit and the moisturizer accommodating part from diagonally downward. It is the figure which showed the structure of the moisturizer accommodating part from diagonally upward. It is the figure which showed the cross-section of the partition wall periphery of a moisturizing agent accommodating part. It is the figure which showed the cross-sectional structure of a moisturizing agent accommodating part and a cap part periphery. It is the figure which showed the structure of the cap part. It is the figure which showed the structure of the cap part and the connection path from diagonally downward. It is the figure which showed the structure around the supply port and discharge port of a moisturizer accommodating part.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  An ink jet printer 100 (ink jet recording apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 has a paper feed cassette 2 a that is a paper storage portion disposed inside the printer main body 1. A sheet P, which is an example of a recording medium, is accommodated in the sheet feed cassette 2a. A paper feeding device 3a is disposed on the downstream side of the paper feeding cassette 2a in the paper conveyance direction, that is, above the right side of the paper feeding cassette 2a in FIG. By this sheet feeding device 3a, the sheets P are separated and sent one by one toward the upper right of the sheet feeding cassette 2a in FIG.

  Further, the printer 100 includes a first paper transport path 4a therein. The first paper transport path 4a is located at the upper right, which is the paper feeding direction in the case of the paper feeding cassette 2a. The paper P delivered from the paper feed cassette 2a is transported vertically upward along the side surface of the printer main body 1 by the first paper transport path 4a.

  A registration roller pair 13 is provided at the downstream end of the first paper transport path 4a with respect to the paper transport direction. Further, a first transport unit 5 and a recording unit 9 are disposed in the immediate vicinity of the registration roller pair 13 on the downstream side in the paper transport direction. The paper P sent out from the paper feed cassette 2a reaches the registration roller pair 13 through the first paper transport path 4a. The registration roller pair 13 feeds the paper P toward the first transport unit 5 by correcting the oblique feeding of the paper P and timings the ink ejection operation performed by the recording unit 9.

  A second transport unit 12 is arranged on the downstream side (left side in FIG. 1) of the first transport unit 5 with respect to the paper transport direction. The paper P on which the ink image is recorded by the recording unit 9 is sent to the second transport unit 12, and the water-based ink ejected on the surface of the paper P while passing through the second transport unit 12 is dried.

  A decurler unit 14 is provided on the downstream side of the second transport unit 12 with respect to the paper transport direction and in the vicinity of the left side surface of the printer body 1. The paper P from which the ink has been dried by the second transport unit 12 is sent to the decurler unit 14, and the curl generated on the paper P is corrected.

  A second paper transport path 4b is provided on the downstream side (upper side in FIG. 1) of the decurler unit 14 with respect to the paper transport direction. When the double-sided recording is not performed, the paper P that has passed through the decurler unit 14 is discharged from the second paper transport path 4b to a paper discharge tray 15 provided outside the left side surface of the printer 100.

  A reverse conveyance path 16 for performing double-sided recording is provided above the printer body 1 and above the recording unit 9 and the second conveyance unit 12. When performing double-sided recording, the recording on the first surface is completed, and the paper P that has passed through the second transport unit 12 and the decurler unit 14 is sent to the reverse transport path 16 through the second paper transport path 4b. The paper P sent to the reverse conveyance path 16 is subsequently switched in the conveyance direction for recording on the second side, passes through the upper part of the printer main body 1, and is sent to the right side, and the first paper conveyance path 4a. , And the registration roller pair 13, and the second surface is directed upward again with the second surface facing upward.

  A wipe unit 19 and a cap unit 50 are disposed below the second transport unit 12. The wipe unit 19 horizontally moves below the recording unit 9 when purging, which will be described later, wipes the ink extruded from the discharge nozzles of the recording head, and collects the wiped ink. The cap unit 50 horizontally moves below the recording unit 9 when capping the ink ejection surface of the recording head, and further moves upward to be attached to the lower surface of the recording head.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the recording unit 9 includes a head housing 10 and line heads 11 </ b> C, 11 </ b> M, 11 </ b> Y, and 11 </ b> K held by the head housing 10. These line heads 11 </ b> C to 11 </ b> K form a predetermined interval (for example, 1 mm) with respect to the conveyance surface of the first conveyance belt 8 stretched around a plurality of rollers including the driving roller 6 and the driven roller 7. A plurality (three in this case) of recording heads 17a to 17c are arranged in a staggered manner along the paper width direction (arrow BB ′ direction) that is supported at the height and orthogonal to the paper transport direction (arrow A direction). .

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a nozzle region R in which a large number of ejection nozzles 18 (see FIG. 2) are arranged is provided on the ink ejection surfaces F of the recording heads 17a to 17c. Since the recording heads 17a to 17c have the same shape and configuration, the recording heads 17a to 17c are shown in one drawing in FIGS.

  In the recording heads 17a to 17c constituting the line heads 11C to 11K, inks of four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) stored in ink tanks (not shown) are respectively stored in the line heads 11C to 11K. Supplied for each color.

  The recording heads 17a to 17c are attracted to the transport surface of the first transport belt 8 according to image data received from an external computer or the like by a control signal from a control unit 110 (see FIG. 1) that controls the entire printer 100. Ink is ejected from the ejection nozzle 18 toward the paper P that is held and conveyed. As a result, a color image in which four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are superimposed is formed on the paper P on the first transport belt 8.

  Further, in order to prevent ink discharge failure due to drying or clogging of the recording heads 17a to 17c, the printing nozzles of all the recording heads 17a to 17c can be started from the discharge nozzles 18 at the start of printing after being stopped for a long time. Is prepared for the next printing operation by executing a purge for ejecting ink having a high viscosity in the nozzles from the discharge nozzles 18 whose ink discharge amount is not more than a specified value.

  Next, the cap unit 50, the wipe unit 19, and the surrounding structure will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first transport unit 5 is stored in a storage frame 70. The first transport unit 5 is configured to be movable up and down by a transport lift mechanism (not shown) including a lift drive source and a gear train. The first transport unit 5 is disposed at the raised position (position in FIG. 6) during the printing operation, and is close to the ink ejection surface F of the recording heads 17a to 17c. Further, the first transport unit 5 is disposed at the lowered position (the position in FIG. 7) during a recovery operation and a capping operation described later of the recording heads 17a to 17c.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cap unit 50 has a first position directly below the recording unit 9 (position in FIG. 8) and a second position (retracted) from the first position in the horizontal direction (arrow A direction). Position, the position shown in FIG. 7). When the cap unit 50 is disposed at the first position, the first transport unit 5 is disposed at the lowered position. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cap unit 50 is configured to be vertically movable at the first position.

  The cap unit 50 is disposed at the second position (the position in FIG. 6) during the printing operation and the recovery operation. The cap unit 50 is configured to move upward at the first position (the positions in FIGS. 8 and 9) to perform capping on the recording heads 17a to 17c during the capping operation. As will be described later, the cap unit 50 is configured to be connected to and disconnected from the wipe unit 19 at the second position, and the cap unit 50 is moved in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by the wipe unit 19. It is performed by moving in a state where it is connected to.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the cap unit 50 includes a sheet metal cap tray 51, a pair of tray side plates 52 formed on both ends of the cap tray 51 in the paper width direction (arrow BB ′ direction), and an upper surface of the cap tray 51. Twelve concave cap portions 53 and four height direction positioning projections 54 are arranged.

  The cap unit 53 is disposed at a position corresponding to the recording heads 17a to 17c. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9, the cap unit 50 moves upward at the first position, whereby each cap portion 53 caps the ink ejection surface F of each of the recording heads 17a to 17c. The cap portion 53 is formed of an elastic member such as EPDM or synthetic resin. When the cap unit 50 is raised to the recording unit 9 side to cap the recording heads 17a to 17c, the height-direction positioning projection 54 contacts the housing 10 of the recording unit 9 so that the height of the cap tray 51 is increased. Position the direction. A cap spring 55 made of a compression spring is disposed between the lower portion of both ends of the cap portion 53 in the longitudinal direction (arrow BB ′ direction) and the cap tray 51. The cap spring 55 keeps the contact state between the cap portion 53 and the ink ejection surface F constant.

  Further, the cap portion 53 is configured such that the moisturizing agent is supplied in a liquid or gaseous state from a moisturizing agent supply mechanism 130 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, the wipe unit 19 has a first position just below the recording unit 9 (position in FIG. 11) and a second position (retracted in the horizontal direction (arrow A direction)) from the first position. Position, the position shown in FIG. 7). When the wipe unit 19 is disposed at the first position, the first transport unit 5 is disposed at the lowered position. Further, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the wipe unit 19 is configured to be movable up and down in the first position.

  The wipe unit 19 is disposed at the second position during the printing operation. The wipe unit 19 is configured to move upward at the first position (the position in FIG. 11) during the recovery operation and the capping operation.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the wipe unit 19 includes a substantially rectangular wiper carriage 31 to which a plurality of wipers 35 a to 35 c are fixed, and a support frame 40 that supports the wiper carriage 31. The wiper carriage 31 is supported so as to be slidable in the arrow BB ′ direction with respect to the support frame 40.

  On the outside of the support frame 40, a wiper carriage moving motor 45 for moving the wiper carriage 31 in the horizontal direction (arrow BB ′ direction), and rack teeth (not shown) of the wiper carriage moving motor 45 and the wiper carriage 31. An engaging gear train (not shown) is attached. As the wiper carriage movement motor 45 rotates forward and backward, the gear train rotates forward and backward, and the wiper carriage 31 reciprocates in the horizontal direction (arrow BB ′ direction).

  The wipers 35a to 35c are elastic members (for example, rubber members made of EPDM) for wiping off the ink pushed out from the ejection nozzles 18 of the recording heads 17a to 17c. The wipers 35a to 35c are pressed from a substantially vertical direction to a wiping start position outside the nozzle region R (see FIG. 5) where the nozzle surface of the discharge nozzle 18 is exposed, and the ink discharge including the nozzle region R is performed by the movement of the wiper carriage 31. The surface F is wiped off in a predetermined direction (the direction of arrow B in FIG. 12).

  The four wipers 35a are arranged at substantially equal intervals. Similarly, the four wipers 35b and the four wipers 35c are also arranged at substantially equal intervals. The wipers 35a and 35c are disposed at positions corresponding to the recording heads 17a and 17c (see FIG. 3) constituting the line heads 11C to 11K, respectively. The wiper 35b is disposed at a position corresponding to the recording head 17b (see FIG. 3) constituting each of the line heads 11C to 11K, and is perpendicular to the movement direction of the wiper carriage 31 with respect to the wipers 35a and 35c ( (In the direction of the arrow AA ′) and is shifted by a predetermined distance.

  On the upper surface of the support frame 40, an ink collection tray 44 for collecting waste ink wiped off from the ink ejection surface F by the wipers 35a to 35c is disposed.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the wipe unit 19 is housed in a carriage 80 having a U-shaped cross section, and is disposed below the cap unit 50 at the second position. The wipe unit 19 moves together with the carriage 80 when moving in the horizontal direction (arrow AA ′ direction) as shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, and moves up and down as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. In this case, it moves up and down with respect to the carriage 80.

  The carriage 80 includes a sheet metal carriage bottom plate 81 (see FIG. 14) on which the wipe unit 19 is placed, and a pair of carriage side plates 82 erected on both ends of the carriage bottom plate 81 in the paper width direction (arrow BB ′ direction). , Is composed of. The carriage side plate 82 is configured to be slidable with respect to a carriage support rail (not shown) of the printer main body 1. As shown in FIG. 14, a rack portion 82 a having rack teeth is formed on the upper surface of the carriage side plate 82. A gear 85a is engaged with the rack portion 82a, and a gear train including the gear 85a is connected to a carriage drive source (not shown) including a motor. As the carriage drive source rotates forward and backward, the gear train rotates forward and backward, and the carriage 80 reciprocates between the first position and the second position. A unit horizontal movement mechanism 85 that moves the cap unit 50 and the wipe unit 19 in the horizontal direction is configured by the gear train including the gear 85a and the carriage drive source.

  As shown in FIG. 14, a unit elevating mechanism 60 for elevating the wipe unit 19 in the vertical direction is provided inside the carriage 80. The unit elevating mechanism 60 includes wires 61a and 61b, a winding pulley 62 that winds the wires 61a and 61b, pulleys 63a and 63b that change the directions of the wires 61a and 61b, and a winding drive motor (winding drive source). 64.

  The wire 61a is attached to the lower part of the wipe unit 19 in the arrow A ′ direction from the take-up pulley 62 through the pulley 63a. The wire 61b is attached to the lower part of the wipe unit 19 in the arrow A direction from the take-up pulley 62 through the pulleys 63a and 63b. Each of the wires 61a and 61b, the take-up pulley 62, and the pulleys 63a and 63b is provided on both sides in the direction of the arrow BB ′ (front side and back side with respect to the paper surface of FIG. 14). The pair of winding pulleys 62 are fixed to both ends of one rotating shaft 65. A rotating shaft gear (not shown) that engages with a gear train (not shown) connected to the winding drive motor 64 is fixed to the rotating shaft 65. When the take-up drive motor 64 rotates forward and backward, the take-up pulley 62 rotates forward and backward.

  Further, the wipe unit 19 is provided with a plurality of connecting pins 42 extending upward as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. A connection hole 52 a (see FIG. 15) is formed on the lower surface of the tray side plate 52 of the cap unit 50 at a position corresponding to the connection pin 42. The coupling pin 42 and the coupling hole 52a constitute a coupling mechanism that couples or uncouples the cap unit 50 and the wipe unit 19.

  When the wipe unit 19 is lowered at the second position (the state shown in FIG. 14 and the first height position), the connecting pin 42 is not inserted into the connecting hole 52a as shown in FIG. The unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are not connected (the connection is released). On the other hand, when the wipe unit 19 is raised at the second position, the connecting pin 42 is inserted into the connecting hole 52a as shown in FIG. 16, and the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are connected. Accordingly, the cap unit 50 is integrated with the wipe unit 19 and can be moved in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 17, a main body stay 120 provided in the printer main body 1 and a stay side plate 121 fixed to the main body stay 120 are provided at the second position. A cap support portion 121 a bent in the horizontal direction is formed at the lower portion of the stay side plate 121. The cap support part 121a supports the cap unit 50 in a state where the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are not connected (a state where the connection is released).

  In addition, the wiper unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are in close contact with the cap portion 53 of the cap unit 50 in a state where the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are not connected (a state other than a capping operation (a printing operation and a recovery operation)). A lid member 90 that protects the cap portion 53 is provided. The lid member 90 is formed of a flat plate made of SUS (stainless steel), resin, or the like. The lid member 90 is in close contact with the cap portion 53 from above, thereby preventing foreign matters such as dust and paper dust from adhering to the upper surface of the cap portion 53 (the surface that is in close contact with the ink ejection surface F). 53 prevents the water inside 53 from evaporating and disappearing.

  The lid member 90 is disposed below the main body stay 120 as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. In FIG. 18, the main body stay 120 is omitted for easy understanding. A plurality (four in this case) of compression springs (biasing members) 123 are arranged between the lid member 90 and the main body stay 120, and the lid member 90 is always urged downward by the compression spring 123. Yes. A plurality (four in this case) of bent pieces 91 bent upward are formed on the lid member 90 adjacent to the compression spring 123. The two bent pieces 91 arranged in the direction of the arrow A ′ are formed with a lid support portion 91a whose upper end is bent in the horizontal direction. The main body stay 120 is formed with an insertion hole 120a into which the bent piece 91 is inserted. The bent piece 91 can move a little in the vertical direction with respect to the insertion hole 120a.

  A lid support pin 124 inserted into the through hole 92 of the lid member 90 is attached to a portion of the main body stay 120 in the direction of arrow A. The through hole 92 can move slightly in the vertical direction with respect to the lid support pin 124. The lid support portion 91a engages with the edge portion of the insertion hole 120a, and the edge portion of the through hole 92 engages with the lower portion of the lid support pin 124, whereby the lid member 90 is supported by the main body stay 120. .

  A plurality of rollers 125 are rotatably attached to both ends of the lid member 90 in the direction of the arrow BB ′.

  As shown in FIG. 10, roller sliding rails 57 whose upper ends are bent in the horizontal direction are provided at both ends in the direction of arrow BB ′ on the upper surface of the cap tray 51 of the cap unit 50. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 19, a notch 57 a is formed at a position corresponding to the roller 125 of the roller sliding rail 57. The notch 57a is formed in a size that allows the roller 125 to enter. In addition, an inclined portion 57b that is inclined downward in the direction of the arrow A is formed at the end of the roller sliding rail 57 in the direction of the arrow A.

  The tray side plate 52 of the cap unit 50 has a plurality of opening holes 52b for guiding the push-up piece (separating member) 58 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction at a position below the notch 57a, and an upper portion of the push-up piece 58. An insertion hole 52c to be inserted is formed.

  The push-up piece 58 is provided on the cap unit 50 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The push-up piece 58 is provided to push up the lid member 90 and move away from the cap unit 50 when the cap unit 50 is moved from the second position to the first position. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the push-up piece 58 has a pair of a main body 58a disposed opposite to the inner surface of the tray side plate 52, and a pair of protrusions that project outward from the opening hole 52b and engage with the edge of the opening hole 52b. It has an engaging protrusion 58b, a bent bottom 58c obtained by bending the lower part of the piece main body 58a in the horizontal direction, and a bent upper part 58d obtained by bending the upper part of the piece main body 58a in the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 19, in the state where the wipe unit 19 is disposed at the first height position (the lowered position, the position placed on the carriage bottom plate 81) at the second position, the connecting pin 42 is pushed up. It is arranged (separated) downward at a predetermined distance from 58 bent bottom 58c (see FIG. 20). For this reason, the push-up piece 58 is disposed at the lowest position (position where the engaging protrusion 58b contacts the lower edge of the opening hole 52b). At this time, the roller 125 has entered the notch 57 a and the lid member 90 is in close contact with the cap portion 53. Further, a gap is formed between the bent upper portion 58d (see FIG. 20) of the push-up piece 58 and the roller 125.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 21, when the wipe unit 19 rises to the second height position (position of FIGS. 16 and 21) higher than the first height position in the second position, The pin 42 is inserted into the coupling hole 52a of the cap unit 50 and pushes up the bent bottom portion 58c of the push-up piece 58 through the coupling hole 52a. For this reason, the bent upper portion 58 d of the push-up piece 58 pushes up the roller 125, and the lid member 90 is separated upward from the cap portion 53. At this time, the bent upper portion 58 d is disposed flush with the roller slide rail 57 and constitutes a part of the roller slide rail 57.

  When the carriage 80 (see FIG. 14) is horizontally moved from this state toward the first position in the direction of arrow A ′, the cap unit 50 is integrated with the wipe unit 19 toward the first position as shown in FIG. Move horizontally. At this time, since the roller 125 is supported by the roller slide rail 57, the separated state between the lid member 90 and the cap portion 53 is maintained. Further, since the roller 125 rotates on the upper surface 57c (see FIG. 24) of the roller sliding rail 57, the horizontal movement of the cap unit 50 becomes smooth.

  In the state where the cap unit 50 is disposed at the first position, the lid member 90 moves slightly downward and is supported by the main body stay 120. In this state, when the cap unit 50 is horizontally moved in the direction of arrow A from the first position toward the second position, the roller 125 is moved by the inclined portion 57b of the roller slide rail 57 as shown in FIGS. The lid member 90 is lifted by being guided on the upper surface 57 c of the slide rail 57. Accordingly, the cap unit 50 moves to the second position in a state where the lid member 90 and the cap portion 53 are separated from each other.

  Next, the humectant supply mechanism 130 that supplies the humectant to the inside of the cap unit 53 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 25, the humectant supply mechanism 130 includes a humectant container 131, a communication path 133, a liquid absorbing member 135 (see FIG. 29), a sub tank (humectant tank) 137, a supply path 139, a supply pump 141, and a discharge. The path 143, the air passage path 145, the main tank (supply tank) 147, the supply path 149, the supply pump 151, and the detection sensor 153 are configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 26 and 27, the moisturizing agent accommodating portion 131 is formed large in the front-rear and left-right directions and small in the height direction, and is attached to the lower surface of the cap tray 51 so as to cover the entire lower area of the cap portion 53. ing. The humectant storage unit 131 stores a humectant 160 (see FIG. 25) supplied to the inside of the cap unit 53. Here, the humectant 160 is water (pure water) here.

  As shown in FIG. 28, the inside of the moisturizing agent accommodating portion 131 constitutes a storage chamber 131a for storing the liquid moisturizing agent 160 supplied from the sub tank 137, a part of the side wall of the storage chamber 131a, and a storage chamber. A partition wall 131b formed between 131a and a discharge port 131f, which will be described later, and a discharge chamber 131c disposed outside the partition wall 131b (between the partition wall 131b and the outer wall of the moisturizing agent housing portion 131). Is provided. The storage chamber 131a is provided over most of the area inside the moisturizing agent housing 131. The partition wall 131 b is formed at a predetermined height, protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the moisturizing agent storage unit 131, and is formed at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the moisturizing agent storage unit 131. That is, a gap is formed between the partition wall 131b and the upper surface of the moisturizing agent storage portion 131, and when excessive moisturizing agent 160 is supplied to the storage chamber 131a, the excess moisturizing agent 160 is separated from the partition wall. It is configured so as to get over the discharge chamber 131c over the 131b. The discharge chamber 131 c is formed in a substantially semicircular shape, and is formed in a narrow region inside the moisturizing agent storage unit 131.

  As shown in FIG. 27 and FIG. 29, a plurality of upper communication holes 131 d for supplying the moisturizing agent 160 to the inside of the cap portion 53 correspond to the cap portion 53 (here, 12). The upper communication hole 131d is formed on the upper surface of the storage chamber 131a.

  As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, a lower communication hole 53 a is formed on the bottom surface of each cap portion 53. The upper communication hole 131d and the lower communication hole 53a are connected by a communication path 133 through which the moisturizing agent 160 supplied from the moisturizing agent housing part 131 to the cap part 53 passes. 29 and 31, the communication path 133 includes an L-shaped fixing metal 133a fixed to the upper communication hole 131d, an L-shaped fixing metal 133b fixed to the lower communication hole 53a, and a fixing metal. For example, the tube 133c made of polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like that connects the 133a and 133b is formed.

  In the communication path 133, a liquid absorbing member 135 having a function of absorbing the liquid moisturizing agent 160 is provided. As the liquid-absorbing member 135, for example, a non-woven fabric, cotton, sponge, or the like in a band shape or a string shape can be used. One end 135 a of the liquid absorbing member 135 is immersed in the liquid moisturizing agent 160 of the moisturizing agent storage portion 131, and the other end 135 b is disposed inside the cap portion 53. As a result, when the moisture in the cap portion 53 decreases, the moisturizing agent 160 evaporates from the other end 135b of the liquid absorbing member 135, and the moisturizing agent 160 is sucked up from the one end 135a by the capillary phenomenon by the amount evaporated.

  As shown in FIG. 25, the sub-tank 137 contains a liquid moisturizing agent 160 to be supplied to the moisturizing agent containing unit 131. Connected to the sub tank 137 is an upstream end of a supply path 139 formed of a tube through which the moisturizing agent 160 supplied from the sub tank 137 to the moisturizing agent storage unit 131 passes. The downstream end of the supply path 139 is connected to a supply port 131e (see FIG. 32) provided in the moisturizing agent storage unit 131. The supply port 131e is provided on the upper surface of the storage chamber 131a of the humectant storage part 131.

  The supply path 139 is provided with a supply pump 141 that pumps the moisturizing agent 160 from the sub tank 137 and sends it to the moisturizing agent storage unit 131. The supply pump 141 supplies the moisturizer 160 from the sub-tank 137 to the moisturizer storage unit 131 that is greater than or equal to the consumption (reduced water content) in the cap unit 53.

  Further, the sub-tank 137 overflows inside the moisturizing agent storage part 131 (over the partition wall 131b) and is downstream of the discharge path 143 including a tube through which the moisturizing agent 160 returning from the moisturizing agent storage part 131 to the sub tank 137 passes. The ends are connected. The upstream end of the discharge path 143 is connected to a discharge port 131f (see FIG. 32) provided in the moisturizing agent storage unit 131. As shown in FIG. 28, the discharge port 131 f is provided on the side surface of the discharge chamber 131 c of the moisturizing agent storage unit 131. That is, the discharge port 131f is provided at a position lower than the supply port 131e (see FIG. 32). The discharge port 131f is disposed at a position lower than the upper end of the partition wall 131b. Thereby, the moisturizing agent 160 overflowing the partition wall 131b returns to the sub tank 137 via the discharge port 131f and the discharge path 143.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 25, the sub tank 137 is connected to the downstream end of an air passage 145 made of a tube through which air passes. The upstream end of the air passage path 145 is connected to the air hole 131g (see FIG. 32) of the moisturizing agent housing 131. The air hole 131g is provided on the upper surface of the moisturizing agent housing 131.

  In this printer 100, when a predetermined time elapses, the accumulated time when the cap unit 53 caps the ink ejection surfaces F of the recording heads 17a to 17c, the accumulated time of the printing operation and the recovery operation, or the total accumulated time thereof. The supply pump 141 is driven by a control signal from the control unit 110 (see FIG. 1), and the humectant 160 is supplied from the sub tank 137 to the humectant storage unit 131. At this time, the air moves from the moisturizer container 131 to the sub tank 137 through the air passage 145 by the amount of increase in the moisturizer 160 inside the moisturizer container 131. The supply pump 141 is driven before the moisturizer 160 in the storage chamber 131a runs out, and supplies more moisturizer 160 than the amount of moisture (humidifier 160) consumed (decreased) in the cap portion 53. It is configured to be supplied to the humectant container 131. Thereby, the moisturizing agent 160 in the storage chamber 131a is not lost. The surplus moisturizing agent 160 overflows the partition wall 131b from the storage chamber 131a and returns to the sub tank 137 via the discharge port 131f and the discharge path 143.

  The main tank 147 contains a liquid moisturizing agent 160 to be supplied to the sub tank 137. The main tank 147 is connected to the upstream end of a supply path 149 made of a tube through which the moisturizing agent 160 supplied from the main tank 147 to the sub tank 137 passes. The downstream end of the supply path 149 is connected to the upper surface of the sub tank 137.

  The replenishment path 149 is provided with a replenishment pump 151 that pumps the moisturizer 160 from the main tank 147 and sends it to the sub tank 137. As the supply pump 141 and the replenishment pump 151, for example, a tube pump, a syringe pump, a diaphragm pump, or the like can be used.

  Further, a detection sensor 153 that detects the remaining amount of the moisturizing agent 160 inside the sub tank 137 is provided at a predetermined position of the sub tank 137. For example, a level sensor or the like may be used as the detection sensor 153. When the detection sensor 153 detects the absence of liquid (less than a predetermined value), the replenishment pump 151 supplies the moisturizer 160 from the main tank 147 to the sub tank 137 until the presence of liquid (greater than the predetermined value) is detected. Thereby, the liquid surface (upper surface) of the moisturizing agent 160 in the sub tank 137 is maintained at a substantially constant height. When the detection sensor 153 does not detect the presence of liquid (more than a predetermined value) even though the replenishment pump 151 is driven, the display panel (not shown) of the printer 100 is informed that the main tank 147 is empty. The Thereby, the main tank 147 is replaced with a new one by the user or the operator.

  Next, an operation (capping operation) of attaching the cap unit 50 to the recording heads 17a to 17c in the printer 100 of the present embodiment will be described. Note that the capping operation and the recovery operation described below are performed by the recording heads 17a to 17c, the wipe unit 19, the unit elevating mechanism 60, the unit horizontal moving mechanism 85, and the transport elevating mechanism according to a control signal from the control unit 110 (see FIG. 1). This is executed by controlling the operation of each drive source and the like.

  When the recording heads 17a to 17c are capped by the cap unit 50, the first transport unit 5 disposed facing the lower surface of the recording unit 9 (see FIG. 1) is lowered as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 19, the wipe unit 19 is arranged at the first height position, and the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are not connected. Further, the lid member 90 is in close contact with the cap portion 53 of the cap unit 50.

  Then, the unit lifting mechanism 60 (see FIG. 14) raises the wipe unit 19 from the first height position to the second height position as shown in FIG. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 16, the connecting pin 42 is inserted into the connecting hole 52a, and the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are connected. At this time, as shown in FIG. 21, the lid member 90 is pushed up by the connecting pin 42 and the push-up piece 58 and is separated from the cap portion 53 of the cap unit 50.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, the carriage 80 is horizontally moved from the second position to the first position, so that the cap unit 50 is horizontally moved from the second position to the first position while being connected to the upper surface of the wipe unit 19. To do.

  Then, the wiper unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are raised by the unit lifting mechanism 60 as shown in FIG. When the cap portion 53 of the cap unit 50 comes into close contact with the ink ejection surfaces F of the recording heads 17a to 17c, the rotation of the winding drive motor 64 (see FIG. 14) is stopped, whereby the recording heads 17a to 17c of the cap unit 50 are stopped. The cap on is completed.

  In addition, when stopping the cap with respect to the recording heads 17a to 17c (in the case of shifting to a printing operation or a recovery operation), since the operation opposite to the above is performed, a brief description will be given.

  In the first position, the unit lifting mechanism 60 lowers the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 until the wipe unit 19 reaches the second height position. As a result, the cap portion 53 is separated from the ink ejection surface F. Then, by moving the carriage 80 horizontally from the first position to the second position, the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are connected to each other and are arranged at the second position.

  Thereafter, the wiper unit 19 is lowered from the second height position to the first height position by the unit lifting mechanism 60 in the second position. As a result, the connection pin 42 comes out of the connection hole 52a, and the connection between the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 is released. At this time, the connecting pin 42 is separated from the push-up piece 58, the push-up piece 58 is lowered, and the lid member 90 is in close contact with the cap portion 53. In this way, the state of FIG. 7 and FIG. 19 is restored.

  Next, the recovery operation of the recording heads 17a to 17c in the printer 100 of this embodiment will be described. When the recovery process of the recording heads 17a to 17c is performed by the wipe unit 19, the first transport unit 5 disposed to face the lower surface of the recording unit 9 (see FIG. 1) is lowered as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 19, the wipe unit 19 is arranged at the first height position, and the wipe unit 19 and the cap unit 50 are not connected. Further, the lid member 90 is in close contact with the cap portion 53 of the cap unit 50.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the carriage 80 is moved horizontally from the second position to the first position with the cap unit 50 left at the second position, so that the wipe unit 19 is moved to the first height position. Move horizontally from the second position to the first position.

  Then, the wiper unit 19 is raised by the unit lifting mechanism 60 as shown in FIG. As a result, the wipers 35a to 35c of the wipe unit 19 are pressed against the wiping start positions of the ink discharge surfaces F of the recording heads 17a to 17c.

  Prior to the wiping operation, ink is supplied to the recording heads 17a to 17c. The supplied ink is forcibly extruded (purged) from the discharge nozzle 18 (see FIG. 2). By this purging operation, thickened ink, foreign matter and bubbles in the discharge nozzle 18 are discharged. At this time, the purge ink is pushed onto the ink discharge surface F along the shape of the nozzle region R (see FIG. 5) where the discharge nozzles 18 are present.

  Thereafter, a wiping operation for wiping off the ink (purge ink) pushed onto the ink discharge surface F is performed. Specifically, by rotating the wiper carriage moving motor 45 forward from the state shown in FIG. 12, the wiper carriage 31 moves horizontally in the direction of arrow B as shown in FIG. 13, and the wipers 35a to 35c are moved to the recording head 17a. The ink extruded on the ink ejection surface F of ˜17c is wiped off. Waste ink wiped off by the wipers 35 a to 35 c is collected in an ink collection tray 44 disposed in the wipe unit 19.

  Thereafter, the wiper unit 19 is lowered to the first height position as shown in FIG. 11 by the unit elevating mechanism 60 (see FIG. 14), whereby the wipers 35a to 35c are removed from the ink ejection surfaces F of the recording heads 17a to 17c. Separate downward. Thereafter, the wiper carriage 31 is moved in the direction opposite to the wiping direction (arrow B ′ direction), and the wipe unit 19 is returned to the original state.

  Then, the carriage 80 and the wipe unit 19 arranged at the first position are moved horizontally from the first position to the second position. Accordingly, the wipe unit 19 is disposed below the cap unit 50. In this way, the recovery operation of the recording heads 17a to 17c is completed.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the humectant supply mechanism 130 stores the humectant container 131 that stores the liquid humectant 160 and the liquid humectant 160 that is supplied to the humectant container 131. The sub-tank 137, the supply path 139 through which the moisturizing agent 160 supplied from the sub-tank 137 to the moisturizing agent accommodating part 131 passes, and the moisturizing agent overflowing inside the moisturizing agent accommodating part 131 and returning from the moisturizing agent accommodating part 131 to the sub tank 137. A discharge path 143 through which 160 passes. As a result, the excess moisturizing agent 160 in the moisturizing agent storage unit 131 returns to the sub tank 137 via the discharge path 143, so that the moisturizing agent 160 greater than the consumption (decreased water content) in the cap unit 53 is supplied to the sub tank. It is possible to supply the humectant container 131 from 137. For this reason, even when it is difficult to detect the remaining amount of the humectant 160 in the humectant container 131 in the height direction, the humectant 160 is stabilized from the sub tank 137 to the humectant container 131. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the disappearance of the moisturizing agent 160 in the moisturizing agent storage unit 131, and it is possible to suppress the ink in the ejection nozzle 18 from being thickened.

  Further, as described above, the humectant supply mechanism 130 includes the supply pump 141 that is provided in the supply path 139 and sends the humectant 160 that is greater than or equal to the consumption amount in the cap unit 53 from the sub tank 137 to the humectant storage unit 131. Thereby, the moisturizing agent 160 can be stably supplied from the sub tank 137 to the moisturizing agent storage unit 131 easily.

  Further, as described above, the moisturizing agent accommodating portion 131 has the supply port 131e to which the supply path 139 is connected and the discharge port 131f provided at a position lower than the supply port 131e and connected to the discharge path 143. Is provided. Thereby, it is possible to easily return the excess moisturizer 160 to the sub tank 137 via the discharge path 143 while preventing the surplus moisturizer 160 from flowing back through the supply path 139.

  Further, as described above, the moisturizing agent accommodating portion 131 constitutes a part of the side wall of the storage chamber 131a and the storage chamber 131a, and the partition wall 131b formed between the storage chamber 131a and the discharge port 131f, The discharge port 131f is disposed at a position lower than the upper end of the partition wall 131b. As a result, the amount of the moisturizing agent 160 inside the moisturizing agent accommodating portion 131 can be held substantially constant by the partition wall 131b, and the moisturizing agent 160 that has overflowed the partition wall 131b can be easily returned to the sub tank 137. .

  Further, as described above, the humectant supply mechanism 130 includes the air passage 145 that connects the humectant container 131 and the sub tank 137 and allows air to pass therethrough. Thereby, since the atmospheric | air pressure inside a moisturizing agent accommodating part 131 and the subtank 137 can be made substantially constant, the flow of the moisturizing agent 160 which passes the supply path | route 139 and the discharge path 143 can be made smooth. In addition, unlike the case where the moisturizer container 131 is provided with an air opening for making the air pressure in the internal space equal to the atmospheric pressure, the moisturizer 160 in the moisturizer container 131 is consumed (released into the atmosphere). Can be suppressed.

  In addition, as described above, the communication path 133 has a function of absorbing the liquid moisturizing agent 160, and one end 135 a is immersed in the moisturizing agent 160 of the moisturizing agent storage portion 131, and the other end 135 b is the cap portion 53. A liquid absorbing member 135 disposed inside is provided. Thereby, when the moisture (humectant 160) inside the cap part 53 is reduced, the moisturizer 160 is evaporated from the other end 135b of the liquid absorbing member 135, and the moisturizer 160 is sucked up from the one end 135a by the capillary phenomenon by the evaporated amount. It is done. For this reason, it can suppress easily that the inside of the cap part 53 dries.

  As described above, the sub tank 137 is provided with the detection sensor 153 that detects the remaining amount of the moisturizing agent 160 in the sub tank 137. Accordingly, when the detection sensor 153 detects that the remaining amount of the moisturizing agent 160 in the sub tank 137 is less than the predetermined value, the moisturizing agent 160 is supplied from the main tank 147 to the sub tank 137. If the remaining amount of the moisturizing agent 160 in the sub tank 137 does not increase even after the replenishment operation is performed, the display panel (not shown) of the printer 100 is notified that the main tank 147 is empty. Then, the main tank 147 is replaced with a new one by a user or an operator.

  In addition, as described above, the lid member 90 that is in close contact with the cap portion 53 at the second position (retracted position) is provided. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the humectant 160 from being consumed (the moisture inside the cap portion 53 is reduced) during the non-cap operation (during printing operation and recovery operation).

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

  For example, in the said embodiment, although the example which provides the partition wall 131b in the moisturizing agent accommodating part 131 was shown, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the partition wall 131b and the discharge chamber 131c may not be provided inside the moisturizing agent storage unit 131, and only the storage chamber 131a may be provided. In this case, by providing the discharge port 131f at a predetermined height position on the side wall of the storage chamber 131a, a certain amount of moisturizing agent 160 corresponding to the height position of the discharge port 131f is stored, and reaches the discharge port 131f. You may comprise so that the moisturizer 160 which overflowed may return to the subtank 137. FIG.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the example using water (pure water) as the moisturizer 160 was shown, this invention is not limited to this. The type of humectant 160 may be changed according to the type of ink.

  Moreover, although the example which provides the liquid absorption member 135 in the communicating path 133 was shown in the said embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. For example, if the inner diameter of the communication path 133 is made sufficiently large or the length of the communication path 133 is made sufficiently short, the moisture (gaseous moisturizing agent 160) in the air inside the moisturizing agent housing part 131 is removed from the cap part. 53 can be supplied.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the moisturizing agent 160 is supplied from the sub tank 137 to the moisturizing agent storage unit 131 by the supply pump 141 provided in the supply path 139 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the humectant 160 may be supplied from the sub tank 137 to the humectant container 131 by moving the sub tank 137 up and down.

17a to 17c recording head 18 discharge nozzle 50 cap unit 53 cap part 90 lid member 100 printer (ink jet recording apparatus)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 130 Moisturizing agent supply mechanism 131 Humidifying agent accommodating part 131a Reservoir chamber 131b Partition wall 131e Supply port 131f Discharge port 133 Communication path 135 Liquid absorbing member 135a One end 135b The other end 137 Sub tank (humectant tank)
139 Supply path 141 Supply pump 143 Discharge path 145 Air passage path 147 Main tank (supply tank)
149 Supply path 153 Detection sensor 160 Moisturizing agent F Ink ejection surface

Claims (8)

A plurality of recording heads having an ink ejection surface in which ejection nozzles for ejecting ink open;
A cap unit having a plurality of cap portions that cap the ink ejection surface;
A moisturizing agent supply mechanism for supplying the moisturizing agent in a liquid or gaseous state into the cap portion;
With
The humectant supply mechanism is
A humectant containing portion that is provided below the cap portion and contains the liquid humectant;
A communication path for connecting the moisturizer container and the cap part and through which the moisturizer supplied from the moisturizer container to the cap part passes;
A humectant tank for storing the liquid humectant to be supplied to the humectant container;
A supply path for connecting the humectant container and the humectant tank and through which the humectant supplied from the humectant tank to the humectant container passes;
Connecting the humectant container and the humectant tank, and a discharge path through which the humectant returns from the humectant container to the humectant tank after overflowing inside the humectant container;
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:   The moisturizer supply mechanism further includes a supply pump provided in the supply path and configured to send the moisturizer more than the consumption amount in the cap unit from the moisturizer tank to the moisturizer storage unit. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to 1.   The moisturizing agent storage unit is provided with a supply port to which the supply path is connected, and a discharge port provided at a position lower than the supply port to which the discharge path is connected. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1. The moisturizer container is formed between a storage chamber for storing the moisturizer supplied from the moisturizer tank, a part of a side wall of the storage chamber, and the storage chamber and the discharge port. A partition wall,
4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the discharge port is disposed at a position lower than an upper end of the partition wall, and the humectant overflowing the partition wall passes through the discharge port.   The said moisturizing agent supply mechanism further includes an air passage path through which air passes while connecting the moisturizing agent storage unit and the moisturizing agent tank. Inkjet recording device.   The communication path has a function of absorbing the liquid moisturizing agent, a liquid absorbing member having one end immersed in the moisturizing agent in the moisturizing agent storage portion and the other end disposed inside the cap portion. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet recording apparatus is provided. A replenishment tank for storing the liquid moisturizer to be replenished in the moisturizer tank;
A replenishment path for connecting the moisturizer tank and the replenishment tank and through which the moisturizer replenished from the replenishment tank to the moisturizer tank;
Further comprising
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the humectant tank is provided with a detection sensor that detects a remaining amount of the humectant in the humectant tank.   8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lid member that is disposed above the cap unit and is in close contact with the cap portion at a retracted position that is retracted in a horizontal direction from a position directly below the recording head. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to item 1.

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